Assigwob



BENJAMIN I. IJIMNE, 01E ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNUE, T0 CI-IAEJLESJI.lDINIlVI,

, 'IIIE'SIEE.

PEUCESS 0E ALLOWING ZINC WITH IRON Olllt STEEL.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. DIMM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Processes of Alloying Zinc withIron or Steel, of which the following is a specification. 4 i

My invention relates to a process of alloying zinc" with iron or steel,and also relates to, the productof the process as an article ofmanufacture, and has for its ob: ject to mix, combine, infuse,incorporate and alloy zinc with the internal structure of iron or steelobjects from their surfaces inward, in whole, or in part to a depth fromtheir surfaces inward sufficient to protect the object from rust andcorrosion, and that is also adapted to render the surfaces of'the objectnon-seal able.

I have discovered that any steel or iron object, after having itssurfaces thoroughly cleaned of all scale and oily substances by picklingin suitable acid solutions and then provided with a coating of zinc byany one of the well known galvanizing processes, may have the metal ofthe zinc coating absorbed *into and mixed, combined and alloyed with theinternal structure of the object, in whole or in part, from the surfacesof the object inward, so that the structure and appearance of thecoating will be changed, and maintaining the objeot within such range ofheat for, an interval of time proportionate to the thickness of the zinccoating and of sufficient duration for the metal of the coating to besubstantially all absorbed by the metal of the object.

In practice I obtain the best results by inclosing the coated object ina retort and subjecting it to a heat of about 600 lEahn, for a period ofabout six hours, according to the thickness of the coating. When cooledand a residuum of dross is cleaned from the surface of the object, thesurface will be found covered with a thin semitransparent grayish bluefilm of carbonate of zinc, beneath which is formed an alloy of the metalof the iron or steel base with the zinc of the coating to a depth inwardfrom the original surfaces of the iron or steel object of not less thanthe original thickness of the zinc coating, and generally to a greaterdepth.

fipecilication of Letters Patent.

Patented dune 2d, I'lllld.

. a lication filed February in. 1914. serial no. siesta.

Zinc coated sheets of iron or steel after being treated by my processare made more malleable and are adapted to be bent to form double seams,or beaded, without breaking or scaling, and are converted into anon-corrosive alloy, especially adapting the sheets for roofing,vessels, and all other purposes for which steel or iron plate may eused. Steel or iron sheet metal such as used for the base of tin plates,after being first zinc coated and then converted into an alloy by myprocess, may be then coated with tin or zinc in the same manner and bythe same processes as steel plate is now converted into tin plate andtherebyi-pr0- duce non-corrosive tin or galvanized plate. llhe alloyproduced by my process is also adapted to be 'electro-plated in like manner and by the same processes as ordinarily used. Zinc coated castings,tubing, structural bodies, nails, screws, nuts and bolts and the like,formed of irolr or steel, when treated by my process have their outerportion to a depth from the surface inward roportionate to the thicknessof the "coatlng alloyed with the zinc of the coating and if free fromimpurities are made permanently non-corrosive.

The entire body of iron or steel sheet metal, when provided with acoating of zinc of a suitable thickness pro ortionate to the gage of thesheet, and en jected to my process, will be converted into an alloy ofthe metal of the coatingand' the metal. of the base sheet which isnon-scaling and is also non-rusting provided the base metal is free fromimpurities which do not alloy with the zinc. I

All iron or steel objects after being treated by my process are adaptedto receive a high and lasting polish closely resembling in color andquality the polished surface of nickel plated metal,

Any zinc coated iron or steel object, after being converted into analloy in whole or in part by my process may be afterward heated toredness without dispelling the zinc, which fact makes it practical tofirst separately provide structural steel or iron, and the rivets bywhich they are formed into columns and girders, each with a coating ofzinc, and after alloying the zinc coating of the several parts therewithby the process described, the parts may be riveted together in thecustomary Way by the altill loyed rivets to form the columns andgirders, which may be riveted together in structural position withoutlessening the protection of the rivets from corrosion by reason of theirhaving been re-heated and the whole structure in all of its parts willbe alike protected from rust and corrosion and made non-scaling.

I am aware that in the process of zinc measurably increasing the depthor thickness of the combination of the two metals, My process istherefore wholly separate and distinct from said sherardizing processand in the application ofmy process to produce the metal alloy aforesaidI do not limit myself to using zinc coated metal in which the coating isproduced by that process.

My process and the product thereof is a distinct advance in the art ofalloyage and the benefits thereof in the arts it is-manifest will befar-reaching in supplying a noncorrosive metal alloy of -greaterstrength than copper and its alloys and at greatly reduced cost.

What I claim to be new is- 1. The process of alloying zinc with iron orsteel, which consists, after providing the surfaces of the body of ironor steel with a coating of zinc, in heating the coated body to atemperature of about 600 Fahrenheit for a period of'about six hours andmaintaining it about said temperature until the metal of the coating,excepting a residuum of dross, is absorbed by the metal of the body fromthe original surface of the body inward.

2. The process of mixing, combining and a day of February,

incorporating'zinc with iron or steel, which 7 consists in heating zinccoated iron or steel to a temperature of about 600 Fahrenheit for a timeperiod sufiicient to change the ap- 'wit: a period of about six hoursfor the thinnest coating and a longer time for thickercoating inproportion to the additional thickness.

4. As an article of manufacture the product arising from the subjectionof any zinc coated body of iron or steel to a temperature that willchange the appearance and structure of the coating, to wit: about 600Fahrenheit for a time period of about six hours for the-thinnestcoatings, and a longer time for thicker coatings proportionate to theadditional thickness of the coating.

5. As an article of manufacture the prod-' uct arising from thesubjection of any zinc coated body of iron or steel to a tempera turethat will change the appearance and structure of the coating, to wit:about 600 Fahrenheit for a time period of about six hours for thethinnest coatings, and a longer time for thickercoatings proportionateto the additional thickness of the coating, and then recoated with tinor zinc,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Erie, Pennsylvania,this 16th 1914,'in the presence of witnesses. BENJAMIN F. DIMM. Inpresence of FRED F. MORAN,

Sam GJSNELL.

two subscribing

